I am currently calculating the N2 flow requirements for a 5000m3 storage tank. Going through API 2000 Annex A, i see that the inert gas requirements are calculating according 2 parameters:

1. Liquid movement due to the pumpout rate of the tank pump

2. Thermal effects due to contractions and expansions for temperature variations.

for 1, The product flash point that i have is >38°C so 0.94 Nm3.h-1/m3.h-1liq is being used

for 2, the Nm3/h for a 5000m3 tank volumen according to the table A.3 is 787Nm3/h air

I am assuming that the Nm3/h air calculated is equal to N2 due to the similar molecular weight.

With the N2 supply conditions, i am obtaining approximately 170 m3N2/h.

For the N2 line sizing calculation, i am considering single-vapour line hydraulic criteria where no velocity criteria is required, however a pressure drop between 4-7 Kpa/100m, with this criteria i have to go for a 4" line where comparing with other N2 blanketing lines of similar volume tank is pretty big as it is around 2" line. I do not know if the criteria i am following is too rigoruous, or i should take a different criteria for sizing the line,

It would be great if someone in this forum could confirm if the steps i am taking are correct or if there is something i should take into account.

My copy of API 2000 is the 5th Edition and Appendix A - Basis of the Normal Venting for Tables 1 and 2 states the following:

“For liquids with a flash point below 100 oF (37.8 oC), this standard recommends a venting capacity of 12 Scfh of air for each barrel (2.02 Nm3/h per cubic meter) per hour of filling rate. Of this quantity, one half, or 6 Scfh (1.01 Nm3/h per cubic meter) of air, represents the vapor displacement caused by liquid movement. The additional 6 Scfh (1.01 Nm3/h per cubic meter) of air was established on the basis of an evaporation rate of approximately 0.5 percent and to account for the conversion of dense vapors being vented to an air equivalent.”

Bear in mind that API 2000 was put together with the intent of an application for petroleum storage tanks. Consequently, what the document refers to - and what Appendix A alludes to - is the change of phase in petroleum liquids when there is a temperature increase, a pressure decrease, or release of dissolved gases in the petroleum product. This vapor generation requires additional capacity for the tanks venting capacity over and above that calculated for the pump-out capacity of the tank. This Appendix is not meant to give you any indication of what is required for the nitrogen feed capacity required to maintain a blanket in the tank’s vapor space. It has nothing to do with nitrogen blanketing. In fact, API 2000 (at least my edition) has no mention of nitrogen blanketing. You fail to state what API 2000 edition you have and what it states.

You fail to identify what liquid you are storing. For such a large tank, I assume you are inerting a petroleum liquid. Is that correct?

A 5,000 m3 (1.320 million gallons) is a very large tank. I estimate it as 80 feet in diameter and 35 feet high. Depending on your maximum pump-out rate, it will require a large nitrogen feed rate to maintain the inert blanket. Depending on the supply pressure of the nitrogen gas and the location of the source, it might require a very large nitrogen supply line. You have also failed to state these values.

I have designed and installed a fair number of nitrogen blanketing systems on storage tanks, so I can offer you the following advice:

The basic design scope for a blanketing system is to ensure that the liquid is kept inerted through the blanket while it is stored, pumped out, and pumped into the tank. In keeping with this requirement, you must ensure that the existence and injection of nitrogen gas in the vapor space is kept constantly under controlled conditions of pressure. This means you must avoid two basic tank hazards caused by a process upset or instrument failure:

A tank over pressure. This can be caused by a nitrogen feed valve failed open, or a deficient vent valve failure or design.

A tank vacuum condition. This can be caused by nitrogen feed valve failed closed or deficient capacity, or a deficient vacuum valve failure or design.

You must ensure that you calculate for the worst pump-out or level depletion condition and have sufficient nitrogen gas capacity to make up for the increase in gas blanket volume requirement. This has nothing to do with air, as stated in Appendix A. You must design for feeding sufficient nitrogen as is needed to maintain the design blanket pressure when there is a draw-down of liquid in the tank due to pump out or drain. In the event your nitrogen make-up rate is not enough to prevent an approach to a vacuum condition, your tank's vacuum relief valve should save the tank.

The design of a nitrogen-blanketed tank is relatively simple in scope but it must be subjected to a hazop or similar study to ensure that the application is not only valid, but safe in all aspects - whether operating or not. Do not neglect to include tank level and pressure safe guards in your overall design.

I am using API 2000 7th Edition, i am not able to get the API 2000 5th edition, but in this edition there is a new Appendix F which state as "Guidance for inert-gas Blanketing of Tanks for Flashback Protection" where it describes three tank inert-gas-blanketing design levels.

Level 1 has minimum inert-gas-blanketing requirements in combination with a specific flame-arrester classification.

Level 2 has more stringent inert-gas-blanketing requirements with a different flame-arrester classification.

Level 3 has the highest inert-gas-blanketing requirements with no flame arrester.

This tank is a multiproduct tank that store different petroleum liquids with different flash points (from 46°C, 65°C, 80°C and 130°C)

Nitrogen is being supply at 5kg/cm2g but i have no information about the location of the source

c is a factor that depends on vapor pressure, average storage temp and latitude (for my case is 6.5)

R is insulation, in my case there is no insulation, therefore this value is 1

Vtk is the tank volume (5000m3)

Vpe is the maximun rate of liquid discharge (for my case approximately the pump out rate which is 250 m3/h)

With all these values i have a nitrogen flow rate of 500 m3/h (it does not say if this is calculated in Nm3/h, it only says that the V is expressed in cubit meters per hour, any idea at which conditions?

The other issue i am facing is regarding the line size of the N2 supply line i am designing, with the flow rate of nitrogen i came up with two approaches:

1. calculate the line regarding pressure drop criteria for single-phase vapour lines where i have to mantain approximately between 4-7 kpa/100m